Friday, November 27, 2009

“If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."~Aboriginal activists group, Queensland, 1970s

Greetings Detroit and all who grace us here!We're really not sure what to do with ourselves as this is the 3rd Evolve Detroit sent off in 3 weeks! As we continue to settle into our new home in North Corktown, we are once again settling into our heartfelt mission as Detroit Evolution. We're pleased to share that, In October we quietly slipped into our 3rd year as caretakers of this quirky and dynamic business that was born in the Canfield Lofts as the Renegade Reality Lab. (Where our friends City Bird are now located) When Angela and I met in 2006, our individual worlds were transformed as we shifted our attention to working together to promote Health, Joy and Liberation and we've been changing and evolving, sometimes rather chaotically, since.

I don't want to seem overly nostalgic, but with Thanksgiving on the horizon, I want to recognize and celebrate the interest that so many people have paid us since we began this leg of our journey. If there is one constant in our work as Detroit Evolution it is the fact that we are consistently blown away by those we have met, shared and worked with. As we again approach a more robust schedule of classes and offerings, we can state frankly that we would not be here if it were not for the support and attention that you have shown us. Whether you are joining us for the first time today or have been with us since day one, we are thankful that you've found us and look forward to sharing more with you.

Sharing and gratitude are huge aspects of our mission. Detroit Evolution, while being many things, is across the board an expression of our talents and our interests. Since we started sending out Evolve Detroit we have used it as a means to express the results of our personal experimentation. We always strive to express that we are in the midst of transition ourselves and do so in our classes and all aspects of our work by sharing both our sometimes rather personal stories. We have intricately tied our personal growth to the growth and vitality of our business so we do things a bit differently and have thrived by doing so.

If you find value in what we're sharing here please consider helping us to grow by sharing our work with friends, family and members of your community that may connect with it. We are currently laying the foundations for Detroit Evolution to take root in North Corktown with a new space and quite frankly need all the help we can get to do so. We thank you for spreading the word and for supporting us by attending our classes and events. It's great to be back up and running and we're thankful for your assistance in helping us to grow.

Detroit Abides takes December Off! I want to thank everyone who came out to Eastern Market for our November Detroit Abides! It was quite an event. Over 70 people came together amidst pallets of potatoes and forklifts to watch Rev. Billy & the Church of Stop Shopping's hilarious and illuminating "What Would Jesus Buy?" We often tackle "heavy" topics every Third Wednesday, so this time around it was great to hear booming laughter fill Shed 5. We will be taking December off and will return to Shed 5 in January with another Free film focused upon Sustainability.

LIVE RAW YOGA MUSIC BRUNCH & New Classes! There's a great deal in the works here and I want to briefly mention a few upcoming events. First, this coming Friday we're pleased to celebrate the return of our Yoga, Live Music and Raw Foods Brunch. We did a similar event a few months back to rave reviews and are honored to be offering it again this Friday as an opportunity to turn our gratitude in upon ourselves and as an alternative to the massive big box consumption of "Black Friday." Angela just finished her menu for this amazing event:

Um, OMG! There are still a few spaces available but we need to hear from you asap if you'd like to join us. The fee is $35 and all the other details are below.

We also just added another Holiday Menu Class as part of Irene's Myomassology Institutes Meet-Up offerings. The class will be on Dec 2nd at 6:30pm at Irene's. To register for this class you need to join the meet up and RSVP. The fee is $15 for this special class. We are also offering another Vegan Holiday Class on December 12th. Our November DIY Class sold out and was a blast. We're very excited about this one too.

Please note that the registration page for Model D's Detroit Green Initiatives Speaker Series at the MOCAD is now up and running. We encourage everyone to sign up and join us for this exciting evening.

We're, of course, offering Massage/Bodywork sessions and still have some time open to schedule holiday catering with Angela for your upcoming events. Please let us know if you need more info about any of our offerings.

We wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving and send holiday blessings to you and yours!

We are pleased to share that people interested in growing Transition Detroit have been coming together recently. If you'd like to help Transition in Detroit please join our facebook page and email Gregg.

Save the Date:GL Bioneers DetroitFollow-Up GatheringSat, Dec 5th, 1-5pmMarygrove CollegePlease join us for this special afternoon session. We'll screen and discuss a Bioneer's plenary and then network in an open space format. People involved in Transition from across Southeast Michigan will be in attendance and we encourage you to join us!http://www.glbd.org/

We actively pursue trade/bartering and will gladly offer a sliding scale for those in need.

Please help us Evolve!Now that we have settled into our new home in N. Corktown we are once again expanding our offerings and events. If you have found value in our work, whether through a tasty hand-crafted lunch, a meaningful yoga class, or one of our awareness raising movie nights, please consider helping us to offset the cost of our offerings. By doing so you'll assist us to lay the foundation for the next phase of our work.

Weekly Events:

Sundays: Evolutionary Yoga with GreggEvery Sunday, 2-3pm - $15 Walk-inNOTE: Your first week of classes at Practice Yoga are FREE! Location: Practice Yoga 20792 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe Woods 48236The Evolution continues with this weekly yoga offering. Gregg is honored to connect with the long time Detroit Evolution supporters at Practice Yoga to offer these Sunday classes. Sessions with Gregg place emphasis on the breath and the expansion of consciousness rather than the perfection of form. Come out and join us this and every Sunday!

Wednesdays: Detroit Permaculture Study Group & WorkshopEvery Wednesday, 6-8pm - Participatory & FREE!Location: Spirit of Hope Church1519 Martin Luther King, Detroit 48208The Detroit Permaculture Study Group and Workshop has started again for the winter months. We meet on Weds from 6-7 pm on the 3rd Weds. of the month we are going to try and attend the Detroit Abides Movie night. We will be reading, "The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency To Local Resilience" by Rob Hopkins from Chelsea Green Publishers. Amazon has it for the cheapest price.

For the workshop part of the project we are going to be working on chicken coops and a bio-shelter lean-to for the Brad and Angie Arthouse. We are in need of two people to be project managers for each project. We are gathering materials to use at Spirit Farm. We may have everything we need to start the chicken coops.

Boycott Big Box shopping and all of it's ills, from selling products made with child labor to the active destruction of resilient local economies! Instead, come together and share a 75 minute Evolutionary Yoga session led by Gregg Newsom. This breath centered flowing practice will benefit those new to yoga and seasoned veterans.

Our session will feature Live Music from Dixon’s Violin. Described as cosmic gypsy, electronic romanticism and interstellar whalesong, Dixon’s mesmerizing electric violin will provide the perfect accompaniment to our focused breath and movement.

After our session we’ll enjoy a local and organic Raw Food Brunch prepared by Angela Newsom. Experience the benefits of Raw Foods and how they assist to balance the body and mind. Over Brunch we’ll share in a Satsang (open discussion) on the benefits of a healthy and humane diet to our practice on and off the mat.

December Events:

Detroit Abides, our Free Moving Night in Eastern Market is taking December off. We'll reconvene in January with another enlightening film. Stay Tuned! Special Date! Wednesday, January 20th 7-9pmLocation:Eastern Market's Heated Shed 5Shed 5 is located at the corner of Russell and Alfred St.

The Holiday season is a wonderful time to share healthy options with family, friends, coworkers and our community. Chef Angela Newsom of Detroit Evolution will share and prepare a special holiday menu including:

Chef Angela Newsom is a vegan/raw food chef and instructor. She specializes in using food as a tool for healing the mind, body and spirit. After witnessing a long history of serious health problems within her family, she sought information needed to create change for them, herself and others. She obtained her technical skills at Schoolcraft's Culinary Arts program, but found her true passion for food preparation through independent study, working in various health-food stores, and taking classes with groups like the Creative Health Institute. Angela is driven by a desire to improve the health and well being of the Detroit community through her food and kitchen classes. Detroit Evolution http://detroitevolution.com

The Holiday season is a wonderful time to share healthy options with family, friends, coworkers and our community. Angela will share and prepare a special holiday menu including an appetizer, side, main dish, and dessert. Menu T.B.A.

You can also register through Paypal (Please note the $2.50 fee per paypal transaction)

MOCAD and the Model D Speaker Series present Green Initiatives Detroit! PRESENTATION and DISCUSSION Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 6PM - FREELocation:MOCAD 4454 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201This evening, organized by MOCAD and Model D Media, will feature several innovative projects and organizations working in Detroit for a Greener today! Some of the individuals and organizations involved will be the Green Garage, Detroit Evolution and landscape architect Jeff Klein's Classic Landscaping company, among others. Though this is a FREE event you'll need to register here to attend.

FAMILY DAY: Paper Gardens and Raw Food?!? Sunday, December 20, 2009 from 12PM to 4PM - FREELocation:MOCAD 4454 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201A family day dedicated to creating a garden inside the brick walls of MOCAD. Children can use raw food, such as potatoes and mushrooms, to create prints. They can learn how to make mosaics using rice & beans. Knowledgeable volunteers will show how to make origami animals and flowers. There will also be live demonstrations by the good people at the Detroit Evolution Lab for kids and their parents on methods of preparation and the health benefits of raw foods.

Save the Date: January 2010!

New Years Day Detroit Evolution CelebrationFeaturing a festive and transformative Live Raw Yoga Music BrunchFriday, January 1st 9:30am-Noon $40Location:The Detroit Flyhouse in Eastern MarketIn the FD Loft Building - 3434 Russell St. Loft #302, Detroit 48207

As part of our Local-lujah Holiday Season we've started to put together a little shopping guide of Detroit based small businesses. These small shops would really benefit from your support now and all year round.

We're going to start out the guide by taking a page from our friend Kate from Spirit of Hope Farm. Last week Kate published her first "Going Local; Big Pimpin' my favorite people and places in and around the "D" post and we're pretty much reproducing it here verbatim.

Our Going Local Guide is very much a work in progress and more shops/people will be added as we go. If we're missing something or someone please drop Gregg an email with your suggestions, gregg@detroitevolution.com

Going Local; Big Pimpin' my favorite people and places in and around the "D"by Kate of Spirit of Hope Farm & The Permaculture Study Group

Long before I ever saw "What Would Jesus Buy?" I have been big into going local for all of the reasons that the movie points out. If you have not seen the movie I suggest you do; it's funny, educational and enlightening. The big box stores are closing downtown "Main St. USA" selling us things made in other places with slave and child labor. Back in the day when I was much poorer then I am now I lived in the Cass Corridor with no car, shopping for most things was very hard. I shopped where I could and I became very loyal to those places that sold things at a fair price and treated their workers well. Here is my first list of people and places I'm Big Pimpin':

Affordable Remodeling Dave Messershmidt 1.586.202.0074 affordableremodeling_detroit@yahoo.comSo many DIY Projects go un-finished and before the new year begins maybe you need some help to get yours done. Jan and I hired Dave and Josh of Affordable Remodeling because we knew if we DIYed it we'd have to hire someone to fix it so we cut to the chase and hired them. They did an awesome job installing a huge fence around our new house and rehabbing our "Sunroom" They are fast, do good work, have awesome personalities and are affordable.

Painting Jean Wilson 313.377.4203Jean has been painting houses and businesses for 20+ years. She does great work! She painted the front of our house, but she has also painted Twingo's, The Atlas, The Royal Oak Music Theater along with many other places around Metro-Detroit. By supporting Jean you also help to support many other projects in and around Detroit. Jean is the Ex. Director of United Peace Relief Detroit (UPRD), which is working to create a local network to respond to local disasters great and small.

Holistic Services/Massage TherapySophia Raptis, Detroit Claire Zobel-Harig, TroyMassage just makes everything better. When you feel good you do good. Massage Therapy is a great way to help keep yourself healthy, flexible, and open. All of these Massage Therapists are on my friends list if you need to find them.

My all time favorite Massage Therapist is Irene. I do not think you can still get an appointment with her but you can go visit her school in Southfield, Mi. Irene's Myomassology Institute (IMI)

Detroit Community Acupuncturehttp://www.detroitcommunityacupuncture.com/ Nora Madden 313-831-3222In my quest to avoid doctors, hospitals, and drugs I have found acupuncture to be very helpful in keeping me healthy. People ask me all of the time how I do everything I do and what it comes down to is working at keeping myself healthy with massage, acupuncture and good food! Nora is on my friends list. I'll come back and plug in contact info when I can.

Please Support These Incredible & Important Events, Organizations and Businesses.

HOLIDAY GLASS ART & ORNAMENT EXTRAVAGANZADon’t miss our “Holiday Glass Art & Ornament Extravaganza” from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 6, 2009. This two-day event, featuring more than 15 styles of hand blown glass ornaments and other unique glass art, will be held at the Glass Academy. We’ll be decorated for the holidays and shoppers can select from dozens of glass candy canes, a wide variety of twirl and bubble ornaments, one-of-a-kind beads, tree toppers and glass straws. Visitors can also enjoy glass blowing and lampworking demonstrations. Local ice carver, Jeff Prather, will demonstrate his artistry outside the Glass Academy from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Prices for the holiday sale will range from $10 to $500. There is no admission to attend

US Social ForumDetroit, June 22-26, 2010The US Social Forum is a movement building process. It is not a conference but it is a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the economic and ecological crisis. The USSF is the next most important step in our struggle to build a powerful multi-racial, multi-sectoral, inter-generational, diverse, inclusive, internationalist movement that transforms this country, and changes history. We must declare what we want our world to look like and we must start planning the path to get there. The USSF provides spaces to learn from each other’s experiences and struggles, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, build relationships, and align with our international brothers and sisters to strategize how to reclaim our world.

The purpose of the USSF is to effectively and affirmatively articulate the values and strategies of a growing and vibrant movement for justice in the United States. Those who build towards and participate in the USSF are no longer interested in simply stating what social justice movements “stand-against,” rather we see ourselves as part of new movements that reach beyond national borders, that practice democracy at all levels, and understand that neo-liberalism abroad and here in the US is not the solution. The USSF provides a first major step towards such articulation of what we stand for.

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Gregg Newsom is a Yoga Teacher, Bodyworker, and Reiki Master who escaped Corporate America in 2006 to share his talents with others, raise awareness and take action on the issues of Food Security, Health, and Social and Environmental Justice. Informed & inspired by Permaculture, the Transition Movement & Eastern, Western, & Indigenous explorations of Consciousness, Gregg is in active pursuit of resilient and relocalized neighborhoods where diverse, sustainable and soulful communities will thrive.

In 2007, Gregg and his wife Angela co-created Detroit Evolution and are pleased to offer community-based yoga classes, bodywork, vegan and raw food preparation classes, catering, and community building events in and around Detroit.

“Maybe that’s the ultimate take-away from Detroit Evolution: seeing food not as a commodity but as a relationship with the earth, as an individual and a community, one not to be approached without a conscience.” ~Michael Jackman, Metrotimes